by Marvin J. Ramirez
Marvin J. Ramirez
The malignant, anti-immigrant spirit is gaining momemtum.
As this edition went to press, the New York Times reported that chemotherapy, which is administered by doctors to safe human lives when a patient is found with cancer, will no longer qualify for treatment – especially undocumented immigrants.
According to the Times, the federal government told New York State official that chemotherapy will no longer qualify for coverage under a government-financed program for emergency medical care.
The report says that last month, federal officials, concluding an audit that began in 2004 and was not challenged by the state until now, told New York State that they would no longer provide matching funds for chemotherapy under the emergency program. Yesterday, state officials sent a letter to the federal Medicaid agency protesting the change, saying that doctors, not the federal government, should determine when chemotherapy is needed.
For years, health advocates for breast cancer patients have lobbied the federal government to provide breast cancer screening to uninsured women through the program The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which provides free or low-cost screening, according to the Times.
“To allow women to be diagnosed with breast cancer and then create an obstacle for them to get treatment is a horrendous policy,” said Donna Lawrence, executive director of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in New York to the Times.
The American Cancer Society says that 11,000 Latinas in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, and what will happen to so many of them when the doors are shut down on them because of these White House policies?
With this new policy put into effect, perhaps many programs in California might not be able to service our Latino women and other low-income, undocumented immigrants.
Healthcare in the U.S., as it is now, is not doing its job, as profit is the main goal of it.
Perhaps Latin governments should step in with this idea.
Since a consulate of any country is sovereign territory, Mexico, for instance, could create an insurance-based health clinic ran by visiting, diplomatic doctors to treat their nationals locally. Local or national U.S. laws may not have jurisdiction over this consulate practice and will not be able to regulate it.
If my Latin government were able to do this, I would be the first one in line to sign up for a Latin health care insurance.
